Banjo-bridge.



No. 660,953. Patented Oct. 30, I900! F. B. HAMMANN.

BANJO BRIDGE.

(Application filed Sept. 3, 1897. Renewed Apr. 28, 1900.)

(No labial.

i m: :mRms PEYERS o0, Pwcrauma. WASHNGYDN, o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BURT HAMMANN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BANJO-BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,953, dated October30, 1900.

Application filed September 3, 1897. Renewed April 28,1900. Serial No.14,761. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BURT HAM- MANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjo-Bridges; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in bridges to be used on thebanjo, banjorine, mandolin, guitar, mandolin-banjo, and other similarmusical instruments, and has for its objects the following: to obviateor prevent the falling of the bridge, the preventing of lateral motion,sliding, or shifting of the bridge, the lightening of the bridge, at thesame time strengthening it, and improving the tone of the banjo causedby the decreased muffiing-surface on the head. I attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure1 shows a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 shows an end elevationof the same; Fig. 3, a sectional view of the bridge at right angles tothat shown in Fig. 1 and taken through line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aplan view of my bridge, showing short length of strings and small areaof the head.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the head of the banjo, which in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown insection under the bridge; 2, the foot of the bridge, consisting of acurved or partially-sharp edge of sufficient length running parallelwith the strings 5 of the instrument.

3 is the bridge or body, upon which the strings 5 are let intothrough-slots 4, which bind the strings tightly.

6 represents fillets connecting feet 2 and bridge or body 3.

7 represents exterior curved fillings to avoid a flat surface on end ofbridge and to add strength to the structure.

8 represent-s fillets connecting ends of feet of bridge 2 to bridge orbody 3.

9 represents concave surfaces of the bridge or body 3. By means of thisconcave section of said bridge or body I retain substantially the samestrength and reduce the amount of material, thereby allowing freervibration and improved tone. The addition of fillets 6, 7, and 8 insuresgreat strength and durability, especially at those points of the bridgewhich might be called the junction of the feet with the top, suspendedportion, or body. These points in the ordinary banjo-bridge are theweakest portions. In my improvement they become the strongest. The toneof the instrument is much improved because of the fact that I haveavoided in a measure sharp turns, which are not conducive Po good tone,and because of the fact that by the curved or sharpened shape of thefeet the bridge rests upon lines or elements rather than surfaces,thereby reducing the amount of face contact with the head orsounding-board to a minimum, thus interfering to the least possibledegree with the vibrations of the said head or sounding-board. On suchportions of the feet as are likely to come in contact with the head Ismear with a resinous varnish. This holds the bridge and head inadhesive contact, which improves the tone and assists in preventing thebridge from sliding.

My object in designing this bridge is to have as little wood as possiblein the bridge consistent with strength and as small surface as possiblein contact with the head and strings as is consistent with durabilityand stability.

I am aware that prior to my invention banjo-bridges have been made withfeet of surfaces fiat and square and fiat and round, and that resinousadhesives have been put into cavities in the feet of bridges, and thatbridges have had internal fillets, such as I have shown at 6. Itherefore do not claim these features broadly; but

WVhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a musical instrument a flexible head, strings stretched acrosssaid head, a bridge between said strings and said head consisting of abody running under and at right angles to said strings, feet attached tosaid body and resting upon said flexible head upon the elements of acurved surface running paral lel to said strings, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a musical instrument the combination of a vibratory head, stringsstretched over said head, with a bridge between said strings and saidhead consisting of a body running under and at right angles to saidstrings, having feet attached to said body and rest ing upon saidvibratory head upon the elements of a curved surface said curved surfacebeing formed by a straight generatrix parallel with the said stringsgoverned by a curved directrix, substantially as described.

3. In a musical instrument the combination of a vibratory head, stringsstretched over said head with a bridge between said strings and saidhead consisting of a body of concave sides and parallel edges runningunder and at right angles to the said strings, having feet attached tosaid body and resting upon said vibratory head upon the elements of acurved surface said curved surface being formed by a straight generatrixparallel with said strings governed by a curved directrix and curvedfillets in the plane of said body joining said feet to the said body,substantially as described.

4. A banjo-bridge consisting of abody, feet attached to said body saidfeet having convexly-curved surfaces coated with an adhesive Where thesame comes in contact with the banjo-head and designed to rest along anelement of the said surface parallel with the strings upon the flexiblehead of the banjo, substantially as described.

5. A banjo-bridge consisting of a body, feet attached to said body saidfeet having conveXly-curved surfaces where the same comes in contactwith the banjo-head and designed to rest along an element of the saidsurface parallel with the strings upon the flexible head of the banjo,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK llUll'l lllll llllllNN- Witnesses:

CLARK T. COLLINS, C. W. WIsNER.

